The diamond-cut life is about more joy, more integrity and less consumption as we deal with global warming. The food-as-fuel track that the U.S. is on (ethanol) assumes unlimited consumption (driving alone, for instance) with no particular joy or integrity.
What are practical, concrete things we can do? Here is what my household is doing to [...]
Entries Tagged as 'consumption'
Rejecting Agrofuel: What To Do
May 9th, 2008 · 1 Comment · 97215, carbon footprint, carpooling, environment, global warming, green living, hybrids, sustainability
Tags: agrifuel·agrofuel·bicycle·biofuel·consumption·diet·Drive Less Save More·food·fuel·Honda hybrid·Prius·trip diary·vanpool·walk
Driving A Prius In The Wild West
April 22nd, 2008 · 5 Comments · climate change, energy conservation, global warming, green living, hybrids, sustainability, transportation
My job in transportation options has taken me, in a new Prius, to the high desert town of Bend, Oregon (recently named by American Cowboy magazine in its Top Ten list of wild-west towns). The Prius, mud-splattered from the Santiam Pass, is now dusted with snow as well, so it reminds me of an [...]
Tags: Appaloosa·Bend·carbon emissions·conservation·consumption·hybrid·Juliet Schor·Old West·Oregon·peak oil·Prius·transportation·vanpool·Wild West
Why Bother? Three Great Reasons
April 21st, 2008 · 4 Comments · 97215, carbon footprint, climate change, environment, global warming, sustainability
Of all the good pieces in today’s Green Issue of New York Times magazine, “Why Bother?” by Michael Pollan is the one that helps us see that lower-consumption lifestyles are crucial in dealing with global warming, Inventors and legislators cannot rescue us.
1.) Pollan points out that being a role model is powerful. As various citizens like you and me consume significantly less, especially in terms of fossil fuels, other
Tags: character·consumption·fossil fuels·Michael Pollan·quality of life·role modeling·TriMet
About Bicycling And Auctions
March 24th, 2008 · No Comments · culture, development, economics, sustainability, transportation
This past Saturday night we went to the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s (BTA’s) annual awards dinner and auction, attended by about 800 people. It’s called Alice B. Toeclips and it was invented about a decade ago by my awesome friend and mentor Karen Frost, the founding director of the BTA.
I had good conversations with great people at Toeclips, and just one reservation I’ll get to in a minute
Tags: Alice B. Toeclips·auctions·bicycles·consumption·cycling·fundraising·grassroots·Metro·nonprofits
The Peak Of Happiness
March 12th, 2008 · 2 Comments · economics, happiness, simplicity, sustainability
I recently asked a good friend how happy he was on a scale of 0 to 10. He only had to think for a few seconds. “A five,” he said. “You?”
“I’m at 9 or 10,” I replied. Interestingly, he makes about twice as much money as I do, and even likes his job (as do I). The social sciences have studied happiness quite thoroughly, so what have they
Tags: consumption·happiness·history·Juliet Schor·relationships·Robert Putnam·social justice
